# 1866 Swiss federal election

Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 28 October 1866. The Radical Left remained the largest group in the National Council.

## Electoral system

The 128 members of the National Council were elected in 47 single- and multi-member constituencies; there was one seat for every 20,000 citizens, with seats allocated to cantons in proportion to their population. The elections were held using a three-round system; candidates had to receive a majority in the first or second round to be elected; if it went to a third round, only a plurality was required. Voters could cast as many votes as there were seats in their constituency. In six cantons (Appenzell Innerrhoden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Glarus, Nidwalden, Obwalden and Uri), National Council members were elected by the Landsgemeinde.

## Results
### National Council

Voter turnout was highest in the Canton of Schaffhausen (where voting was compulsory) at 86.3% and lowest in the Canton of Schwyz at 18.7%.
| | Radical Left | | 39.6 | 53 | –6 |
| | Liberal Centre | | 28.4 | 39 | +2 |
| | Catholic Right | | 17.0 | 21 | 0 |
| | Democratic Left | | 10.5 | 11 | +5 |
| | Evangelical Right | | 2.9 | 4 | –1 |
| | Independents | | 1.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | | | 128 | 0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 284,020 | – | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 561,669 | 50.57 | | |
| Source: BFS ||||||

#### By constituency

| Constituency | Seats | Party | Seats won | Elected members |
| Zürich 1 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 3 | Jakob Dubs Alfred Escher Johann Jakob Treichler |
| Zürich 1 | 4 | Democratic Left | 1 | Hans Rudolf Zangger |
| Zürich 2 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 3 | Johann Heinrich Fierz Heinrich Honegger Johann Jakob Widmer |
| Zürich 3 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 2 | Heinrich Grunholzer Eduard Suter |
| Zürich 3 | 3 | Democratic Left | 1 | Johann Jakob Sulzer |
| Zürich 4 | 3 | Democratic Left | 2 | Friedrich Scheuchzer Jakob Fehr |
| Zürich 4 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Rudolf Benz |
| Bern 5 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | Carl Samuel Zyro Friedrich Seiler Johann Jakob Karlen Jakob Scherz |
| Bern 6 | 4 | Evangelical Right | 4 | Otto von Büren Rudolf Brunner August von Gonzenbach Samuel Steiner |
| Bern 7 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | Karl Karrer Samuel Lehmann Ludwig Wyss Karl Schenk |
| Bern 8 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | Johann Bützberger Johann Rudolf Vogel Johann Weber Jakob Leuenberger |
| Bern 9 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 | Eduard Marti Jakob Stämpfli Friedrich Eggli |
| Bern 10 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | Édouard Carlin Niklaus Kaiser Cyprien Revel Paul Migy |
| Lucerne 11 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Josef Martin Knüsel |
| Lucerne 11 | 2 | Radical Left | 1 | Josef Bucher |
| Lucerne 12 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | Philipp Anton von Segesser Vinzenz Fischer |
| Lucerne 13 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 | Anton Wapf Anton Hunkeler Hans Theiler |
| Uri 14 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Josef Arnold |
| Schwyz 15 | 2 | Catholic Right | 1 | Karl Styger |
| Schwyz 15 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Josef Anton Eberle |
| Obwalden 16 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Simon Ettlin |
| Nidwalden 17 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Alois Wyrsch |
| Glarus 18 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Joachim Heer |
| Glarus 18 | 2 | Radical Left | 1 | Peter Jenny II |
| Zug 19 | 1 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Wolfgang Henggeler |
| Fribourg 20 | 3 | Catholic Right | 3 | Louis de Weck Laurent Chaney Alfred Vonderweid |
| Fribourg 21 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | Pierre-Théodule Fracheboud Louis de Wuilleret |
| Solothurn 22 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 | Simon Kaiser Benedikt von Arx |
| Solothurn 22 | 3 | Catholic Right | 1 | Franz Bünzli |
| Basel-Stadt 23 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Jakob Stehlin |
| Basel-Stadt 23 | 2 | Radical Left | 1 | Wilhelm Klein |
| Basel-Landschaft 24 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 | Jakob Joseph Adam Stephan Gutzwiller |
| Basel-Landschaft 24 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Jakob Baader |
| Schaffhausen 25 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Friedrich Peyer im Hof |
| Schaffhausen 25 | 2 | Democratic Left | 1 | Wilhelm Joos |
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden 26 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Adolf Friedrich Zürcher |
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden 26 | 2 | Radical Left | 1 | Johann Ulrich Meyer |
| Appenzell Innerhoden 27 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Alois Broger |
| St. Gallen 28 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Baptist Weder |
| St. Gallen 28 | 3 | Catholic Right | 1 | Johannes Zündt |
| St. Gallen 28 | 3 | Democratic Left | 1 | Friedrich Bernet |
| St. Gallen 29 | 3 | Democratic Left | 2 | Gallus August Suter Johann Baptist Gaudy |
| St. Gallen 29 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Josef Leonhard Bernold |
| St. Gallen 30 | 3 | Radical Left | 1 | Carl Georg Jakob Sailer Johann M. Hungerbühler |
| St. Gallen 30 | 3 | Democratic Left | 1 | Georg Friedrich Anderegg |
| Grisons 31 | 2 | Radical Left | 1 | Johann Gaudenz von Salis |
| Grisons 31 | 2 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Simeon Bavier |
| Grisons 32 | 2 | Catholic Right | 1 | Johann R. von Toggenburg |
| Grisons 32 | 2 | Radical Left | 1 | Alois de Latour |
| Grisons 33 | 1 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Andreas Rudolf von Planta |
| Aargau 34 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 3 | Friedrich Frey-Herosé Carl Feer-Herzog Adolf Fischer |
| Aargau 35 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 3 | Samuel Schwarz Theodor Bertschinger Alois Isler |
| Aargau 35 | 4 | Radical Left | 1 | Peter Suter |
| Aargau 36 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 | Friedrich Joseph Bürli Augustin Keller |
| Aargau 36 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Fridolin Schneider |
| Thurgau 37 | 5 | Democratic Left | 2 | Philipp Gottlieb Labhardt Fridolin Anderwert |
| Thurgau 37 | 5 | Radical Left | 1 | Johann Ludwig Sulzberger |
| Thurgau 37 | 5 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Johann Messmer |
| Thurgau 37 | 5 | Catholic Right | 1 | Augustin Ramsperger |
| Ticino 38 | 3 | Radical Left | 2 | Costantino Bernasconi Carlo Battaglini |
| Ticino 38 | 3 | Catholic Right | 1 | Giovanni Polar |
| Ticino 39 | 3 | Catholic Right | 1 | Michele Pedrazzini |
| Ticino 39 | 3 | Liberal Centre | 1 | Luigi Rusca |
| Ticino 39 | 3 | Radical Left | 1 | Giovanni Jauch |
| Vaud 40 | 4 | Radical Left | 2 | Victor Ruffy Louis Ruchonnet |
| Vaud 40 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 2 | Charles Cossy Paul Cérésole |
| Vaud 41 | 4 | Radical Left | 2 | Constant Fornerod Abram-Daniel Meystre |
| Vaud 41 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 2 | Jean-Louis Demiéville Charles Bontems |
| Vaud 42 | 3 | Radical Left | 3 | Louis-Henri Delarageaz Charles Baud Henri Reymond |
| Valais 43 | 2 | Catholic Right | 2 | Alexis Allet Hans Anton von Roten |
| Valais 44 | 1 | Catholic Right | 1 | Maurice Evéquoz |
| Valais 45 | 2 | Radical Left | 2 | Louis Barman Maurice-Antoine Cretton |
| Neuchâtel 46 | 4 | Radical Left | 4 | Alexis-Marie Piaget Jules Philippin Henri Grandjean Ami Girard |
| Geneva 47 | 4 | Liberal Centre | 4 | Philippe Camperio François-Jules Pictet Charles Friderich Albert Wessel |
| Source: Gruner ||||||

### Council of States

| Party | Party | Seats | +/– |
| | Catholic Right | 14 | –3 |
| | Liberal Centre | 13 | 0 |
| | Radical Left | 12 | +3 |
| | Democratic Left | 1 | +1 |
| | Evangelical Right | 0 | 0 |
| | Independents | 2 | –2 |
| | Vacant | 2 | +2 |
| Total | Total | 44 | 0 |
| Source: Federal Assembly ||||